Five Lowfat Food Fibs

By Kerri Zane -

Just when you think it’s safe to take a bite, the labels have you fooled. Here are a few foods in your grocery aisle that you should think twice about before tossing in your cart. For more health and fitness lifestyle tips  .

1. We love to snack on granola or granola bars. It’s one of my favorite treats but it is actually no less fattening than chowing down on an Oreo cookie. If you look at the labels on granola bars you will see they contain high levels of high fructose corn syrup and other sugars, and some bars have as many as 10 grams of fat.

2. Lean meats are an excellent source of protein. I much prefer white ground meats as opposed to reds. Ground turkey is a household favorite but it can sometimes contain more fat a pound of ground beef contains. Check the label.

3. Another place for serious diet sabotage is in the bread aisle. When you see a brown bread wrapper with the words multi-grain, wheat, or some other healthy description you probably automatically think, “healthy.” Yes and no. You’ll score higher in the healthy column by purchasing bread that is whole grain.

4. Energy and protein bars are marketing primarily to women who want to shape up and lose weight. Beware, because oftentimes energy bars have as much sugar and fat as a regular candy bar.

5. The biggest deception dieters face is the “low-fat” fallacy.  Manufacturers may have taken out the fat, but that doesn’t mean the sugar is gone. Low-fat foods often contain loads of sugar that is converted into carbs in your body and pack on pounds, read the labels carefully.

Everyone’s favorite snack for example ‘ potato chips. These can be labeled all natural and seem like less of a guilty pleasure, but even natural potatoes become fattening when they get fried and coated with salt. So don’t be fooled by creative packaging. A marketing professional helped to design the package. Instead focus on the label that lists nutritional values.

Finally, watch your portions or servings. Most labels that offer calorie content information are based on a one half cup serving. Depending on what food you’re talking about, one half cup just might not be enough to satisfy you. So then, the calories you thought you were consuming, based on what you read on the label, have just increased.

My rule of thumb is not to diet and fall into the lowfat no fat trap. You need to change your way of life. Shedding pounds and staying healthy and fit is more about eating the right fresh foods (traditionally not packaged goods). The secret is portion control. It is healthier and more flavorful to eat all the regular full fat foods you like in smaller portions that chow down on a cardboard flavored cookie. Drink lots of water, eight 8-ounce glasses and exercising every day. Research has indicated that mid-life women need 60 minutes a day 7 days a week to lose weight.

Kerri Zane is a Health and Fitness Lifestyle Expert for Generation Jones women, those born between 1954 and 1965. She is an Emmy award winning television producer with 20 years of experience. Kerri writes lifestyle and women’s empowerment articles for a variety of monthly publications and websites. She has taught classes at UCLA extension. In December 2009 Kerri was named Lifestyle expert for http://www.4jewsonly.com a social networking site. Featured as the cover story for the 2006 Mother’s Day issue of “Long Beach Magazine,” Kerri was profiled as an exemplary single working mother and role model for women. An honors graduate from UCLA she completed coursework for a Masters in Marketing at CSUN, has a certificate in Public Relations from UCLA, is a member of NATAS, the DGA and a Certified Personal Trainer. Kerri is an ardent supporter of Girlfriends-LBC, a mentor group for teen girls and the American Heart Association. Kerri resides in Long Beach, CA with her two teenage daughters and twin Siamese cats. http://www.kerrizane.com